There is clearly a sense that violence in Iraq has been on the way up since the American troops pulled out of urban centres at the end of June.

But it is still not as high as it used to be three years ago, when the country appeared to be on the brink of an all-out sectarian war between the majority Shia and Sunni insurgents.

However, the frequency of the recent attacks – and the fact that the latest blasts hit the heart of government in central Baghdad, will raise questions about the competence of the Iraqi security services as well as about the motives.

(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)

Whether it is primarily sectarian or not, the apparent aim of the violence has almost always been to destabilise Iraq and show the government losing control.

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

This view appears to be even more plausible now as Iraqi politicians have begun preparing for forthcoming parliamentary elections due early next year.